Roofing construction



NOV. 24, 1970 1 PRQBST- 3,541,745

ROOFING CONSTRUCTION Filed June 7, 1968 United States Patent O 3,541,745 ROOFING CONSTRUCTION John F. Probst, Hartland, Wis., assignor to P.A.L. De-

velopment Corporation, Butler, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed June 7, 1968, Ser. No. 735,287 Int. Cl. E04d 5/02 U.S. Cl. 52-105 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A roong construction for applying shingles to a roof. A sheet of roofing paper is applied to the roof decking and includes two series of parallel guide lines which extend longitudinally of the paper. The first series of guide lines alternate with the second series of guide lines, and the two series of guide lines are Ivisually distinguishable. The lines are used as guides in applying shingles to the roof as well as guides for applying additional rolls of roofing paper to the roof deck.

The invention relates to a rooting construction for applying shingles to a roof, and more particularly to a novel rooting paper having two alternating series of guide lines which serve as guides for applying shingles to the roof.

A conventional asphalt or asbestos shingle roof is constructed by initially applying felt roong paper to the roof deck and then nailing rows or courses of shingles over the paper. The customary asphalt or asbestos shingle is approximately thirty-six inches long and twelve inches wide and each row of shingles overlaps the upper portion of the adjacent lower row by approximately half the width of the shingle. The roofer normally gauges the overlap by eye and Without any auxiliary guide mechanism. With short runs, an experienced roofer can apply the rows of shingles in a relatively straight path, but when a long run is required, as in an apartment or a commercial building, even an experienced roofer has considerable ditiiculty in maintaining the rows of shingles in a straight path, with the result that the rows are frequently wavy and may vary as much as 4 to 5 inches throughout the length of the roof. This problem is further complicated when large obstructions such as dormers, vents, skylights and the like interrupt the rows of shingles. With an obstruction such as a dormer, the shingles are applied independently on either side of the dormer and at the top of the dormer the rows are often out of alignment. In some cases the rows may be so far out of alignment that a portion of the shingles must be removed and reinstalled.

In the past attempts have been made to assure precise alignment of the rows of shingles, by using auxiliary guide members which are attached to the roof, or by laying out the position of each row of shingles and snapping chalk lines along the roof. While these methods aid in maintaining alignment of the rows of shingles, the time required for setting up these alignment systems often overbalances the benefts to be achieved, so that roofers generally rely on their own visual ability to maintain alignment of the rows of shingles.

The present invention relates to a roofing system for applying shingles which insures that the rows of shingles will be in precise alignment and follow a straight path along the entire length of the roof. According to the invention, roong paper is applied to the roof deck and the paper is provided with a series of generally parallel iirst guide lines which extend longitudinally of the paper, and are spaced uniformly from the lower side edge of the paper. The width of the roong paper is not a multiple of the distance between the guide lines so that the distance rice from the opposite or upper side edge Yot" the paper to the uppermost adjacent guide line is less than the spacing between the guide lines, thereby providing an edge portion of lesser width. In addition to the irst guide lines7 a second series of guide lines extend longitudinally of the sheet and alternate with the iirst guide lines. The second guide lines are spaced from the upper edge of the paper and the spacing between the second guide lines is equal to the spacing between the rst guide lines.

The shingles have a width equal to twice the spacing between the irst guide lines plus the width of the edge portion so that the lower edge of the first course of shingles will be located at the gutter line of the roof, while the rear edge of the clirst course of shingles will be in alignment with one of the second guide lines. Each additional course of shingles is applied to the roof with the rear edges of the shingles in alignment with the second guide lines of the first sheet of paper.

The lower edge of the second sheet of roofing paper is aligned lwith the uppermost iirst guide line on the rst sheet of paper and the upper edges of each succeeding row of shingles are then aligned with the irst guide lines on the second sheet of roofing paper as well as the subsequently applied sheets of paper.

The first guide lines and second guide lines are visually distinguishable, meaning that the lines are either of different colors or consist of dierent types of markings so that the roofer can readily distinguish between the guide lines.

The rooting system of the invention provides an accurate method of applying rooting shingles which insures that the rows of shingles are in precise alignment and follow a straight path along the entire length of the roof. Even an inexperienced roofer, by aligning the shingles with the guide lines on the rooting paper, can lay the shingles in a straight pattern.

The roofing system of the invention is inexpensive for no auxiliary guides or markers are required and the guide lines are applied to the rooting paper in the factory so that the overall cost of the system is minimal.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the course of the following description.

The drawings illustrate the best mode presently contemplated of carrying out the invention.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the rooting construction of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective 'View of the roll of rooting paper having two series of guide lines.

FIG. 1 illustrates a roof 1, `which is generally either a hip or gable roof, and a facia board 2 is applied to the ends of the rafters at the lower edge of the roof. A number of sheets of rooting paper 3 are applied to the roof deck 1 with each succeeding upper sheet 3 overlapping the upper edge portion of the next lower sheet. As shown in the drawing, the lower edge 4 of the lowermost sheet of paper 3 is disposed in alignment with the lower edge of the roof and extends along the facia 2.

According to the invention, a series of guide lines 5 are applied to the paper 3 and extend longitudinally of the paper. The guide lines 5 are parallel to the edge 4 and are equally spaced apart. The spacing between the guide line 5 is not a multiple of the width of the paper 3 so that the distance between the guide line 5f and the upper edge 6 of the paper is less than the spacing between the guide lines 5 to thereby provide an upper edge portion 7 of lesser width.

In addition to the guide lines S, the paper 3 is also provided with a series of guide lines 8. The vguide lines 8 are disposed parallel to the edge 6 and are equally spaced apart, with the spacing between the guide lines 8 being equal to the spacing between the guide lines 5. As shown in the drawings, there are no guide lines 8 located between the edge 4 and the lowermost guide line 5a, nor is there any guide lineV 8 located between the guide lines 5a and b.

The second sheet of roofing paper 3 is applied in overlapping relation to the first sheet with the lower edge 4 of the second sheet aligned with the guide line 8a, while the lower edge 4 of the third sheet of roofing paper 3 is disposed in alignment with the uppermost guide line 5 of the second sheet. Each succeeding sheet 3 is aligned in the same manner as the third sheet, with the lower edge 4 of the sheet being disposed in alignment with the guide line 5f of the preceeding lower sheet.

A series of shingles 9 are nailed over the roofing paper and the shingles can be any conventional type such as asbestos, asphalt, plastic or the like. The lower edge portion of each shingle is provided with a pair of slits which divides each shingle into a series of lower tabs 11.

The width of the shingles 9 is equal to twice the spacing between the lines 5 plus the Width of the upper edge portion 7. Thus, when the lower edge of the first row of shingles 9 is aligned with the facia board 2, the upper edges of the shingles 9 are aligned with the guide line 8b and the upper edge of each succeeding row of shingles 9 is aligned with the succeeding guide lines 8c and 8b as shown in the drawing. As the rows or courses of shingles proceed upwardly over the second sheet of paper 3, the upper edges of the shingles are aligned with the lower edge 4 of the second sheet of paper and then with the guide lines 5a, 5b, 5c, etc. of the second sheet. The upper edges of the shingles are similarly aligned with the guide lines 5 throughout the remainder of the roof to the ridge line.

The guide lines S and 8 are provided with a visual differentiation, meaning that the guide lines 5 and 8 are of different color, or one line can be continuous and the other interrupted, in form of dashes, dots, or the like. The term guide line as used in the claims is intended to mean either a continuous or interrupted visual marker.

In laying the roof of the invention, the roofer initially applies the first sheet of paper 3 with the lower edge 4 of the paper in alignment with the facia board 2. The second sheet of paper is then applied with the lower edge 4 in alignment with the guide line 8a of the first sheet and each succeeding sheet is applied with the lower edge 4 in alignment with the guide line 5f of the preceeding sheet. After the roofing paper has been nailed to the deck, the rst row or course of shingles 9 is applied to the roof with the upper edge of the shingles disposed in alignment with the guide line 8a and the lower edges of the shingles will thus be aligned with the facia board 2. The succeeding rows of shingles are applied with the upper edges in alignment with the guide lines 8c, 8b and 8a and the remaining rows of shingles are then applied to the roof with the upper edges of the shingles in alignment with the guide lines S on the second and succeeding sheets of paper.

The roofing construction of the invention provides a precise method of aligning the rows or courses of shingles and insures that the rows will be laid in a straight line path without waves or ripples.

The roofing system can be readily employed by the roofer without any additional equipment or any additional labor costs, for the guidelines are applied to the roofing paper in the factory' and no additional time or labor is required in applying guides or lines to the roof prior to laying of the roofing.

The rooting system has particular application to long roofs such as in apartments or commercial buildings, and

4 templated as lbeing within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention.

I claim:

1. A roofing construction material to be applied to a roof deck, comprising a sheet having a pair of opposed side edges, a first series of generally parallel guide lines extending longitudinally of the sheet and spaced uniform- 1y from one side edge of the sheet, the width of said sheet not being a multiple of the spacing between said first guide lines whereby the distance from the second side edge to the adjacent guide line is less than the spacing between the guide lines to provide a side edge portion of reduced width, a series of second guide lines extending longitudinally of the sheet and spaced uniformly from said second side edge, each second guide line being disposed between a pair of adjacent first guide lines and the spacing between the first guide lines being equal to the spacing between the second guide lines, said second guide lines having different visual characteristics from said first guide lines and thereby being visually distinct from the first guide lines.

2. The material of claim 1, wherein said visual distinction is a color distinction.

3. The material of claim 1 wherein the space between said first side edge and the first guide line is free of second guidelines.

4. The material of claim 1, wherein said sheet is roofing paper and is disposed in coiled form.

5. A roof construction, comprising a roof deck having a lower edge, a sheet of roofing material having a lower side edge disposed in general alignment with the lower edge of the roof deck and having an upper side edge disposed parallel to said lower side edge, a first series of generally parallel guide lines extending longitudinally of the sheet and spaced uniformly from said lower side edge, the width of said sheet not being a Vmultiple of the spacing between said first guide lines whereby the distance from the upper side edge of the sheet to the adjacent first guide line is less than the spacing between said first guide lines to provide an upper edge portion of lesser width, a series of generally parallel second guide lines extending longitudinally of the sheet and spaced uniformly from said upper side edge, each second guide line being disposed between a pair of adjacent first guide lines and the spacing between the second guide lines being approximately equal to the spacing between the first guide lines, and a plurality of shingles applied to the roof deck and having a width equal to twice the spacingl between first guide lines plus the width of said upper edge portion, the lower edges of the first row of shingles being aligned with the lower side edge of said sheet and the upper edges of said rst row of shingles being aligned with one of said second guide lines.

6. The construction of claim S, and including a second row of shingles partially overlapping the upper portion of the first row of shingles and the upper edges of the shingles in said second row being aligned with a second of said second guide lines.

7. The construction of claim 5, and including a second sheet of roofing material applied to the roof deck with the lower edge of said second sheet overlapping the upper edge of said first sheet and being aligned with the uppermost second guide line.

8. The construction of claim 7, and including a series of rows of shingles with the lower edges of the shingles in each row partially overlapping the upper portion of the shingles in the next lower row and the upper edges of the shingles in each row being aligned with successive second guide lines of said first sheet and the upper edges of succeeding rows of shingles being aligned with successive first guide lines on said second sheet.

9. The construction of claim 8, wherein said rst guide lines and said second guide lines are provided with a visual distinction.

` 5 6 10. The construction of claim 7, and including a third 1,942,763 1/ 1934 Menshon 52-105 X sheet of roong material applied to the roof deck with 2,222,939 11/ 1940 Feller 52-554 X the lower edge of said third sheet overlapping the upper QTHER REFERENCES edge of sald second sheet and .being aligned with the Fiberglass catalog Builbup Roofing Systems from uppermost rst guide Ime of sald Second Sheet' 5 Swaats Architectural Catalog File, 1962, section Sa/OW,

pp. 2 and 4. References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS PRICE C. FAW, JR., Primary Examiner 388,700 8/1888 Manahan 52-105 10 U.S.Cl.X.R.

1,284,997 11/1918 Bgler 52-105 52--554 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION Patent No. 3,541,745 Dated November 24, 1970 JOI-IN F. PROBST Inventor(s) It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Colurnn 2, line 63, Cancel "line" and substitute therefor l1nes, Column 3, line lO, Cancel "5" and substitute Signed and sealed this 11th day of May 1971.

(SEAL) Attest:

WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR

EDWARD M.FIETCHER,JR.

Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer 

